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A bill aiming to eliminate the party line from New Jersey ballots has advanced out of a special Assembly committee. The bill, A-5116, seeks to change the design of primary election ballots by adopting an office-block format, which groups candidates by the office they are seeking rather than by party endorsement. This move follows a federal court decision that deemed New Jersey's county line ballot system likely unconstitutional.
The bill, which was unanimously approved by the committee, is designed to prevent any candidate from being separated from others running for the same office. It also prohibits bracketing between candidates seeking different offices. The legislation allows county clerks to choose the ballot's orientation and mandates reporting on primary elections by the state Division of Elections.
Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Passaic), co-chair of the committee, emphasized the historic nature of the bill, stating, "Elections are about voters and a testament to our democracy." However, some critics argue that the bill does not go far enough in ensuring fairness. They point out that it still allows candidates to run as a slate for a single office, which could enable party organizations to influence the ballot.
The bill also retains the use of six-word ballot slogans, allowing party endorsements to appear on primary ballots. Critics like Yael Niv, president of the Good Government Coalition of New Jersey, argue that the bill lacks key elements such as rotating candidate order and eliminating slogans, which they believe are necessary for a fair ballot.
The full Assembly is expected to vote on the bill in its Thursday session, but its path through the Senate remains uncertain. If passed, the bill could reshape New Jersey's primary elections, reducing the influence of party endorsements.